Bed-pan.



HENRY o. vMILLIGKAN, or CANTON, omo. i

1,237,673i"k I To all 'whom 'itl may concern:

Be it known that LIIENRY C.'M1LL1GAN, a citizen of the United States, residentfof Canton, county of Stark, and State of Ohio', have invented a new and usefull Improvement in Bed-Pans, of which the following is a specification,` theprinciple of the inventionl being herein explained and the best mode in which I havey contemplated applying -thatprinciple, so as to distinguish it from other inventions. f

My v

be economically manufactured, which will be efficient in the performance of its function, and which will meet with sanitary requirements.

It has heretofore been customary to make bed-pans of a single or unitary structure, that is, in which the bottom, sides and top were made from a unitary piece of chinaware or from enameled metal parts built up or secured to each other so as to form connected irremovable lor non-detachable parts, a suitable seat opening having been provided in such top, smaller in area than the horizontal sectional area of the receptacle. In every such case interior spaces were formed, difficult of access, hard to clean, and hence apt to become unsanitary. The most common form of pan was furthermore wedge-shaped, thereby forming wedgeshaped interior spaces of small vertical dimension, thus still further accentuating the inaccessibility of all parts of its interior and in consequence increasing liability of the occurrence of unsanitary conditions.

My said invention consists of means hereinafter fully described and particularly set forth in the claim.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain means embodying my invention, the disclosed means, however, constituting but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be applied.

In said annexed ldrawing Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a bed-pan embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 represents a perspective of a fragmentary portion thereof and partly in section. v

Fig. 3 represents a bed pan of slightly modified form and embodying my invention.

The illustrated embodiment of my invention comprises a main or body portion. l

invention "relates to v bed-pans, its object being to provide a bed-pan whichmay BED-PAN. i v

y ,speciationgf Leiters 'raient Patentedauoa 21, 1917. Applicatioalea'necember 30,1916.- serialNaiiaaeos. i

which consists of a bottom 2 and sides 3. 5

This main orv body-portion forms a" receptacle proper and I make it preferably o-f cylindricalform, with the open top surrounded bya suitable beadfl. This shape `ofreceptacle may be v'readily stampedor otherwise 5f `6 kwhich is adapted to overhang the peripheral upper part or bead of the main or body-portion, as shown in Fig. 2. Thiscircumferential flange 6 closely fits the body portion l and is made of rigid material as distinguished from air and water cushions heretofore utilized with some forms of bed pans and cases into which pans have been inserted and strapped up firmly. The middle portion of the cover is cut out to form a seat opening 7 which extends to thej edge of the cover, that is, intersects the covers periphery and hence interrupts the continuity of the flange 6, as shown in Fig. l. I make the central portion of this opening preferably circular, as shown, and the outer part thereof having its sides diverging outwardly. The entire periphery of this opening is made rounded -so as to present no sharp edges, as will be readily understood.

The interruption of the peripheral portion, that is the outer end of opening 7, is of a length less ythan the diameter of the receptacle so that when the cover is in place the flange 6 prevents its dislocation in a horizontal direction, or in a direction parallel with the bottom of the pan. The said distance which is less than the diameter of the receptacle is that distance, measured in a straight line, between the two ends of the break created in the flange by the openended seat opening 7. At the same time the cover may be readily removed and all surfaces thereof are hence readily accessible for cleaning and may therefore easily be maintained in a perfectly sanitary condition. The main or body-portion of the receptacle proper has its interior therefore also readily accessible and may likewise be kept in an absolutely sanitary condition without difliculty.

It will therefore be seen from the abovedescribed construction that a bed-pan of a The general form ofthe pan may be ovalI or elliptical as shown in Fig.l 3, if desired, or other obvious modifications of such general form may be 4adopted without departing from the general principles of my in-` vention. In the form of pan shown in Fig. 3, it is evident that the straight line distance between the two ends of the break in the circumferential flange 6 will be less than thelength .of the minor axis of the ellipse.

By adopting a round lform of receptacle, I have departed from the conventional type of wedge-shaped pan andfind that such departure in no wise effects any inconvenience or in any way disturbs the eiiciency ofthe f device in the performance of its functions.

As a new article of manufacture, a bed `pan comprising a main or body portion forming a receptacle and having an open 25 top; vand al removable cover formed with a close fitting circumferential iangev of rigid material adapted to overhang said 'body portion and also formed with an open-ended seat openin extending toand through s aid 30 ange, the istance between the two ends of the break in said flange created by said seat opening being less than the diameter; of said body portion,

' Signed by me,4 this 14th day of December, 35 1916. l

HENRY c. MILLIGAN.

`(lqps of this patent may beobtaind for ye cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

.y Washington, ZD. 6.. f 

